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ARTICLE · 23 APRIL 2015

2015 Federal Budget Highlights Recent Changes To Competition And Foreign Investment Policy

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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Finance Minister Joe Oliver tabled the 2015 federal budget before the House of Commons on April 21, 2015.

CanadaAntitrust/Competition Law
Blakes Competition & Antitrust Group
Blakes Competition & Antitrust Group
Blakes Foreign Investment Group
Blakes Foreign Investment Group
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Finance Minister Joe Oliver tabled the 2015 federal budget before the House of Commons on April 21, 2015. The budget highlighted recent policy changes in competition law and foreign investment review, including new powers for the Competition Bureau to investigate cross-border price gaps and new thresholds for World Trade Organization (WTO) investors under the Investment Canada Act.

INVESTIGATING CROSS-BORDER PRICE DISCRIMINATION

On December 9, 2014, the Price Transparency Act (PTA) was introduced in the House of Commons. If passed, the Competition Bureau will be empowered to investigate and publicly report on instances of cross-border price discrimination (i.e., where products or services are sold in Canada at unjustifiably higher prices than similar goods or services in the United States). The budget allots C$5-million over five years to the Competition Bureau to pursue investigations under the PTA.

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